Thill-coupling



(No Model.)

' W. A. SCOTT, Jr.

THIALL COUPLING.

No. 332,952. I Patented Dec. 22, 1885.

2? I v F v I I I e WITNESSES: INVENTOR,

bm9amm I 5 m A/ Y,

ATTORNEY.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

XVILLIAM A. SCOTT, JR, PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

THlLL-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No, 332,952, dated December22, 1885.

Application filed July 6, 1885. Serial No. 170,691.

To aZZ whom, it may concern:

Beit known that I, WILLIAMA SooT'r, J r. residing at Pittsburg, in thecounty of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, a citizen of the UnitedStates, have invented or discovered a certain new and useful Improvementin Oarriage-Thill Connection, of which improvement the following is aspecification.

In the accompanying drawings,which make part of this specification,Figure 1 is 'a view in elevation, showing my improved thill coupling orconnection as applied to a carriageaxle and to the rear end of acarriage-thill. Fig. 2 shows the coupling or connection in top or planview, and Fig. 3 by a detached side view illustrates the same in amodified form.

My improvement is designed to get rid of the objectionable rattleordinarily incident to the use of jointed connections between the thillor thill-frame and the carriage or the running-gear thereof, and itrelates more particularly to the introduction of a flexible resilientcoil of steel or like material between the chill or thill-frame properand a permanent fastening to the carriage or its gear.

In the drawings, A represents a carriage or other vehicle wheel; B, itsforward axle, and D the rear end of a thill.

The thill iron or strap cl, instead of terminating at its rear end, asusual, in the eyehalf of a coupling-joint, is bent or coiled one or moreturns into a springcoil, a, and an extension or prolonged end, 12,passes under, or in other suitable relation to the axle B, so as, by aclip, 0, clip-bar a, and nutse, or by other suitable known devices oflike function, to be fixedly connected with the axle, as illustrated, orto other desired part of the carriage or other vehicle or to itsrunning-gear.

The material employed is preferably steel, and the part coiled is to beof such size in cross-section and of such temper or quality that it willcombine the necessary strength as against breakage, and also thenecessary flexibility and resiliency, by which the thills may be usedwith their forward ends at the varying heights from the ground incidentto such use. The number of coils is not material,

(No model.)

though ordinarily one or two will suffice, nor is the direction ofcoiling material.

In Fig. 3 I have shown the coil as the reverse of that in Figs. 1 and 2,and while I believe a softer comparatively low grade of steel to be thebest for the use described, other 5 suitable flexible resilient metalmay be employed in the manner set forth.

As the connection of the rear end, b, with the axle is fixed or lacksthe movability of one part on another which appertains to the ordinarythin-coupling, it obviously cannot rattle or become a source ofannoyance to the occupants of the carriage, either by wear or otherwise.The coil being subject to no wear, cannot wear out, so that expense forrepairs is entirely obviated. By the use of suitable machinery it can bemade at about the same or even at aless cost than the ordinary jointedcoupling, with rubber cushioning or pressure blocks, and beingpractically indestructible its great utility is obvious. To securegreater strength, the extreme rear end of b is bent up or has a rib, s,which bears against the rear side of the axle; but this is not obviouslyessential.

I am aware that spiral springs-i. e., a spring having its convolutionsarranged in the same plane and at right angles to the axis thereof-11ave been arranged between the axle and the rear end of the shaft orthill; but this construction of spring is objectionable, for the reasonsthat the shaft or thill is held a considerable distance away from theaxle and the convolutions project below the axle, thus rendering theconnection unsightly in appearance, and for the further reason that itis necessary to transversely bend or twist a portion of the spring inorder to connect it with the thill or coupling; but I am not aware thathelical springsi. 6., springs having their convolutions in differentplaneshave ever been used, the advantages arising from the use Versetwisting; and, further, the helical spring I coil, a, and a rearextension, I), by which to can be arranged in the same plane as the axleI make connection withithe vehicle, said strap on either side of thethill ends, thus effecting and rear extension being tangential to theacompact and strong arrangement of the parts. coils, substantially asset forth.

5 I claim herein as my invention In testimony whereof I have hereuntoset [5 1. In a thill-connection, a helical coil, a, my hand. between thethill and the axle, said spring WILLIAM A. SCOTT, JR. being parallelwith the axle and in the same \Vitnesses: plane therewith, substantiallyas set forth. DARWIN S. WOLCOTT, IO 2. A thill-strap, d, having ahelical spring- R. H. WHITTLESEY.

